Tag-holder for shipping boxes or cases.



T. J. BIXLER.

IAG HOLDER FOR SHIPPING BOXES 0H CASES,`

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 5, 1911.

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TAG-HOLDER FOR SHIPPING BOXES OR CASES.

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Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented July 3, 19T?.

Application filed February 5, 1917. Serial No. 146,686.

To all 'whom t may concern Be it known that I, THURMAN J. BIXLER,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Hutchinson, in the county of Reno and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tag- Holders for Shipping Boxes or Cases, of which the fol lowing is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying` drawing.

This invention relates to improvements in shipping boxes or crates, or particularly to a novel construction of shipping card or tag holder therefor.

Bottled soda, beer, mineral water and other liquids or substances are commonly shipped in cases or boxes from a point of supply to a point of destination, and it has been common heretofore to apply shipping cards in various ways to such boxes or cases. The common practice is to simply write the name and address of the addressee upon a card or tag and to tack or either fasten such card or tag to some suitable portion of the box. As a result of this practice, the box is mutilated, the tag very often lost or misplaced, and the addressee is subjected to the trouble of removing the original tag and applying another return tag in shipping the box or case, after being emptied, to the original point. Cards or shipping tags thus affixed are also exposed to the weather, with resultant disadvantages.

The object of my invention is to provide a card or tag holder which forms a complemental part of the box itself, and which is formed in or upon one of the walls of the box in such a manner as t0 expose one side of the shipping card or tag to view, the construction being such that the tag may be easily and conveniently removed as required and will be held against loss or displacement by the lid or cover of the box which holds it confined in position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a construction of holder which admits of the use of a card or tag bearing upon one side the name and address of the shipper and adapted to receive on its reverse side the name and address of the shipee or party to whom the lled box is to be shipped, so that by simply reversing the position of the card it will serve as an address card for both directions of shipment.

The invention consists of the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which F lgure l 1s a fragmentary top plan view,

`with parts broken away, of a shipping box 3 or case embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary end elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Figs. 4 and 5 are views of the opposite sides of the shipping card or tag.

The box or case 1 is constructed, as usual, of wood or other suitable material, and as .shown is of oblong or rectangular form, comprising a bottom wall 2, front and back walls 3 and t, end walls 5, and a hinge lid or cover 6, which lid or cover is hinged, as shown at 7, to the back wall and is adapte ed to rest when in closed position upon the upper edges of the back, front and end walls and to be secured in closed position in any suitable manner. Suitable cleats 8, one of which is shown, may be employed at the corners of the box for strengthening purposes.

In carrying my invention into practice, I provide a card or tag holder which is a component part of one of the end walls 5. The end wall 5 shown in the present instance is illustrated as comprising a body portion 9, composed of a board or strip, which rests upon the bottom wall and extends between the front and rear walls and projects upwardly a distance less than the full height of the body of the case, leaving a space between the same which is lled by a superposed board or strip l0. This board or strip may be secured in position in any preferred manner and extends between the front and rear walls, rests at its base upon the upper edge of the board 9 and has its upper edge flush with the upper edges of the remaining vertical walls of the case.

The strip l0 is provided with a vertical slot 11 extending between its top and bottom edges and communicating on its outer side with a display opening 12. This slot 11 forms a pocket or chamber to receive the shipping card or tag 13 and is of just suflicient size to admit of the card being loosely held in position so that it may be conveniently applied and removed. One of the sides of the card is provided with a suitable form 14 to receive the name of the person to whom the filled case is to be shipped, while the reverse side of the card dental loss or niisplaeenient.

is provided with a return address form 15, which may be the naine of the manufacturer, jobber or dealer shipping the goods, and to whom the crate or ease is to be returned after the contents have been emptied or used.

It will be observed that the upper end of the slot or pocket 11 opens through the upper edge of the end wall 5, so that when the lid or cover 6 is in open position the shipping card or tag may be readily inserted or removed, while when the lid or cover is in closed position it will over-lie the slot or holder and confine the card against acei- The face of the card to be used will be exposed through the opening 12, and it will thus be understood that the shipper will place the card in position with the face 14, bearing the desired address, facing the opening 12 So as to be exposed therethrough, While in returning the box or case to the shipper the card is simply reversed in the holder to expose the address face 15. It will thus be seen that the invention provides a shipping card or tag holder which forms a part of the box itself, which provides for the convenient display of the card while protecting it from loss or injury, and which admits of the reversal of the card, so that it may be employed as a shipping tag for shipment of the ease in both directions. The construetion described admits of a box or ease being the cost of ordinary boxes or eases, while affording the conveniences stated and obviating the objectional and customary practice of tacking shipping cards to the outer surface of the box, as will be readily understood.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, I claim:

In a card or tag holder for boxes, shipping eases or the like, the combination of a box body having bottom, side and end walls, oneof said end walls comprising a body portion terminating below the body of the other walls, and a superposed strip lling the space between said body portion and the horizontal plane of the said other walls, said strip being provided with a vertical longitudinal passage extending between the top and bottoni edges thereof and forming a pocket opened at its top and Closed at its base by the body portion of the wall, and having in its outer side a display opening extending through the outer wall of the pocket and communicating therewith, a cover adapted when in closed position to rest upon the side edges of the side and end walls and to close the mouth of the pocket, and a card loosely fitting within said pocket and having reverse faces for containing address matter.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses. i

TI-IURMAN J. BIXLER. vWitnesses F. I). I-IETTINGER, JAMES I-IETTINGER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

